Evaluating the Effects of Varying Model Parameter Values on the Characteristics of a Photovoltaic Module

Abstract

This paper conducted a review of the most important features and parameters concerned with the modelling of a photovoltaic (PV) cell/module. The primary focus was on the photovoltaic cell, the essential component in the transformation of light into electric current. Furthermore, for the purposes of the present study, it has been depended on previous research to design a simulation model of a photovoltaic cell and module using MATLAB to represent the PV cell and the module. Additionally, based on existing models, the current–voltage and power–voltage characteristics of a photovoltaic module were calculated by varying the values of certain parameters, such as irradiance (G), temperature (T), series resistance (Rs), diode ideality factor (N) and diode reverse saturation current (Ir). The simulation results of the PV module were compared with each other across the range of parameter values. It has been found that the simulated output power of the photovoltaic module depended on a number of different parameters that were used to model the photovoltaic module. The impact of different parameters and their respective values was observed in the way the values of output power and voltage fluctuated. The MATLAB code provided the means to identify the maximum power point (MPP) as well as the voltage at MPP, for a PV module for different parameter values. In this paper, the respective MPP, voltage and current at different MPP values were plotted on P–V curves to illustrate the changes for each parameter. The simulation results show that the modelled parameters were influenced by the current–voltage and power–voltage characteristics of the photovoltaic module, with corresponding changes in the MPP value. For the purposes of proposed investigation, it has been used MATLAB to simulate the Solarex MSX-60 multi-crystalline photovoltaic module in order to observe the impact of changing the value of the various parameters and to verify the accuracy of PV model. By varying the values of particular model parameters, the best modelling of the PV module that gives simulation data approximately equal to actual data in the datasheet was obtained.KeywordsPhotovoltaic (PV)Maximum power point (MPP)Current of maximum power point (Impp)Series resistance (Rs)Voltage of maximum power point (Vmpp)Diode reverse saturation current (Ir)Irradiance (G)Temperature (T)Diode ideality factor (N)